Order of the day returned from the Federation Chamber; certified copy presented.

Debate resumed on the motion:

That this House:

(1) notes:

(a) that the carbon price came into effect on 1 July 2012;

(b) the Government's repeated assertions that only Australia's ‘500 biggest polluters’ will pay the carbon price;

(c) community concern that the social and economic impacts of the carbon price have not been fully investigated;

(d) research that indicates the carbon price will have a disproportionate impact on small businesses, regional industries, and regional communities;

(e) concern:

(i) regarding the impact of the carbon price on at least 104 councils in rural, regional and urban Australia which have received notices of potential liability from the Clean Energy Regulator; and

(ii) within regional communities that the $200 million Regional Structural Adjustment Assistance Package is inadequate to meet the needs of adversely affected communities, particularly those exposed to the Government's 'contract for closure' policies; and

(g) that the Government's $36 million advertising campaign to promote the Household Assistance Package provides no information on the policy that has led to the payments to households; and

(2) highlights that the Government should have deferred the introduction of the carbon price until after the Australian public has had its say at the next election.